A county road runs in front of our house. Lots of vehicles go up and down the road when the redbuds and dogwoods bloom. Driving by, they miss the kaleidoscope of April Ozark wildflowers lining the road, out on the hills and up the ravines.
Most of the April Ozark wildflowers are old friends for me. But I love to go out to visit them again as most are here for only a short time before vanishing until next April.
Along the Road
Late mornings and early afternoons are slack times in the traffic. That makes those times good for walking along to see what is growing and blooming. Since much of the roadside burned, I get a chance to see what survived as well.
The fire burned the leaf litter and moved on. Lots of plants are sprounting up through the ash. Bellwort is one. Even driving home from town, I spotted this gorgeous clump out on its own and had to go back on foot to admire it.
Along the way I found others: orange puccoon, violet wood sorrel, blue violets and early buttercups. Around the bellwort were toothwort and rue anemone along with a rock fern.
Up a Ravine
Wandering across the hill I tried to miss stepping on too many Johnny Jump Up violets. Down in the ravine my first stop were large patches of Virginia bluebells. A few years ago there was only a single small patch, now there are lots of these lovely blue flowers.
More toothwort and rue anemone were scattered on the sides of the ravine. The Christmas ferns were putting up their fiddleheads.
So Many April Ozark Wildflowers
I didn’t intend to make such a list and it isn’t complete at all. The spring ephemerals are out in a mad race to beat the tree leaves. They come in many colors, often bloom for only a few days, set seed and vanish for another year.
Driving by, even slowly, you won’t see most of these flowers. To meet and admire these wildflowers you must stop, get out and walk along a gravel road, a nature trail in a Conservation Area, even a road in town as many grow in lawns. Do it soon or you will miss the April show.
Wildflowers are in many essays and pictures found in “Exploring the Ozark Hills“. “Missouri’s Milkweeds, Milkvines and Pipevines of Missouri” is a guidebook to these Missouri flowers.
